Ask the Doctor: Can Chiropractic help Headaches?

By: Dr. Chad Laurence

According to the National Headache Foundation, over 45 million Americans suffer from chronic, recurring headaches. Of the 45 million Americans on record, it is estimated that 28 million of these people suffer from migraines. It is interesting to note that about 20% of children complain of headaches. Over the years, the trend has gone from bad to worse, and reasons include stress, hormonal changes, a lack of a proper curve in the neck, increased use of visual screens (mobile phones, texting, computers, etc.), caffeine, specific food chemicals, bad diet, whiplash injuries, slips and falls, heavy weights on the shoulders and neck, and a host of others. In addition, there are many types of headaches, including but not limited to:

-Medication Induced Headache:side effects of meds
-Cervicogenic Headache: pain from subluxation of neck
-Sinus: deep constant pain in front of head
-Exertional: headache developed after exercising
-Tension Headache:the most common type; contractive pain
-Hypertension Headache: usually worse at night; vascular
-Cluster Headache:least common,severe,intense,behind one eye
-Hormonal Headache: females with cycles, birth control
-Dietary Headache: from MSG and processed food chemicals
-TMJ Headache: from clenching the teeth
-Other types of Headaches


There are over 150 headache categories that have been written. The majority of symptoms encompass pulsating, throbbing, or a squeezing pain, that can last anywhere from minutes to hours and can even last several days. There are many triggers of headaches, including light sensitivity, auras such as odors and noise, to more intense symptoms of nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain and stomach cramps, visual disturbances, floaters, fever, dizziness, and loss of skin tone. There are many options for care of headaches, and care can vary depending on the type of headache that is occurring.

Treatment and care for headaches includes prescription and over the counter medications, chiropractic care, acupuncture, trigger point therapy and massage, night guards to prevent teeth grinding, dietary modifications, and change in lifestyle. Many medications have shown to alleviate headaches, and often times, speaking to your family physician and altering your medication regimen can alleviate pain. In a recent study in the journal JMPT, it was found that people who took medications did get relief, however those who were under chiropractic care found more relief than those who took medications, and had much lower side effects than medication participants.

Chiropractic care has shown to be quite effective to alleviating and correcting the origination of headaches. A 2001 study out of a Duke University practice showed that spinal adjustments helped curb the majority of headaches that arose from muscle spasms and headaches from the neck. Adjustments also showed to last much longer than most prescribed medications.

Consult your family chiropractor on a treatment plan that is right for you. Often times, many headaches are caused by a lack of neck curve that causes muscle spasms and spinal cord tension, as well as misaligned vertebrae called subluxations that lead to headaches. Studies show that 1 out of 8 people in the US see a Chiropractor. Massage Therapy does wonders for tension in the head and neck, and acupuncture has become increasing more popular for care. Many people are gravitating towards natural methods to help their headaches, and the evidence has shown that these people are getting much of the relief that they are seeking for their headaches.